The Phoenix
by Kayristilla Zanctos
Summary: Talissa wants what is best for the remnants of her family, so after Zuko disappeared, she escaped. Now, she travels around the Earth Kingdom on fiery wings, looking for peace and redemption.


The Phoenix of the Fire Nation

_In this chapter, it says she _X_'d her arms, that doesn't mean crossed. She took her arms, pulled them straight out in front of her, moved one into a diagonal position, then did the same with the other. I don't want you to be confused._

Talissa smirked. Her arms moved back and forth, the fire hovering over them burning through the air, increasing her speed. More fire stayed near her feet, ready to give her a boost if needed.

But, that wasn't the plan.

"Stop, or you will be arrested by the Fire Lord!" Talissa rolled her eyes. If they thought they could catch her, they were sadly mistaken. She had a bag on her shoulder that held food, water, and other doodads. Her load was by far heavier than theirs, and she was still outrunning them. They'd never catch her.

"You can't catch me! My firebending skill surpasses your own, and more to the point, I can fly!" And with that, she _X'd_ her arms in front of her, then spread them like wings. The fire left her feet, and spread from her fingertips to her hips, covering the area in between. Talissa jumped, flapped her arms, then let the hot air carry her out of the range of the soldiers. She bent forward slightly, so that the heat slipped out the back. This way, her course was straight forward, and she had no altitude change.

Her unusual blond hair whipped in the wind as she slowly eased into a thermal. Even with her hair this way, the golden eyes of the Fire were her's. She was wearing a top that took three shirts to create. She had a strapless dark red undershirt that reached from just below her shoulders. On top, was a deep red strap sleeve vest with the left side dominating, and a gold banded trim. A strapless shirt with a hanging flap on the right finished the outfit. Her pants were simply the deep red of her shirt, and reached to just below her knees. They were loose, and ruffled at the hem.

"Grandfather, are you awake? Are you okay?" she asked the bag. A wrinkled face poked out.

"Yes, I'm awake, and I am perfectly fine. A little shaken up from the turbulence, but otherwise okay."

"Glad to hear it. Can you give me a course check?" The old man nodded, pulled out a map, oriented himself with the stars, and placed his hand on her left shoulder. Talissa started turning, and when the pressure lifted, she straightened out.

"We're almost home free, Grandfather. Crossing the ocean will be tough. See if you can find any islands on that map that are close by." Her elder looked down again, and said that there was an island, maybe about three hours travel away, that was on their path. It was small, barely visible on the map, but it would do.

"I'd suggest trying to commit that map to memory, no telling what may happen," Talissa said.

"Because-" the man began.

"If you expect the unexpected, then the unexpected will never come. But if you don't expect the expected, it will sneak up on you," they finished together.

It was two years after Prince Zuko had been banished from the nation. In that time, there had been a hole. A hole in which Talissa had crept through, drawing power, and becoming the most wanted outlaw of the entire nation. It was her plan to become banished herself, then retreat to the Earth Kingdom, where she and her grandfather could make a living.

Nearly two and a half hours later, the small island came into view over the horizon. Tiring quickly, the sight of the island gave Talissa new hope, and energy. It would take a long time to cross the ocean between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.

She beat her wings in a way meant to cover ground quickly, lifting them up, then bringing them down and backwards at the same time, giving her thrust. In the next fifteen minutes, the island was right below them, and she pulled her arms in close, keeping her wings open. They began to plummet, falling faster and faster, until finally, Talissa pulled her wings out and slowed their descent. She landed softly on the ground, pulled off the bag, and fell to the ground, exhausted.

The bag was heavy with food, water, her grandfather, and her specialized armor. A golden cross of flames and feathers, the breastplate, bracers, leggings, and boots showed a phoenix of extreme power. They made up half the weight, the food and water making a fourth, and her grandfather taking up the last of the weight.

He climbed out, and began preparing some tea. Talissa set out the meal, and once everything was ready, they ate and drank.

"So, when we get to Ba Sing Se, do you think we'll be able to afford a Pai Sho board? I dearly love the game," he said. _Don't all old people? s_he thought.

"In one month, if we don't get a Pai Sho board, I'll make one."

When the meal was done, Talissa pulled out a dark blanket that had also been stowed away, spread it over them, then they went to sleep.

Early the next morning, Talissa awoke, made some tea, cooked breakfast, then quickly concealed the fire behind the blanket. A Fire Nation ship was sailing past.

"Mm," Grandfather muttered.

"Shh, Fire Nation," the girl whispered. They stayed perfectly still, the blanket keeping any prying eyes from spotting them. Finally, the ship disappeared.


End file.
